As stated in the title of this specification, the following invention relates to a unitary extractor system of products for vending machines, being of utility for its incorporation in all manner of automatic vending machines functioning by means of the introduction of coins, permitting the unitary vending of a wide variety of products, independently of their shape, configuration and structural consistency.
So, the products, separated by small pieces between them, rest one on another, with the last of them resting on a support body for the products, while in the upper forward part of the duct it incorporates a stud for stopping of the products, preventing any possible fall of the products whether intentional or accidental.
The present specification describes a unitary extractor system of products for vending machines, being of application in all manner of automatic vending machines functioning by means of the introduction of coins, banknotes and/or cards and which can dispense drinks and food products, refrigerated or otherwise.
In this way, the vending machine will be able to be installed in very different places, and can thus be installed in companies, public bodies, hospitals, airports, railway and bus stations, schools, etc.
The vending machine will likewise be able to be of utility for the vending of live bait, and can be installed in shops and shopping centers, especially in sections relating to fishing and in fishing zones.
As is known, there exists on the market a wide diversity of automatic vending machines which function by means of the introduction of coins, cards and/or banknotes and which can incorporate cold equipment, in such a way that, considering those machines that incorporate cold equipment and are used for the vending of cold drinks or food products which, on account of their components, need to be kept at low temperature until their consumption, it can be cited those machines that present certain bodies that rotate between two shafts, one upper and the other lower, provided with some cross-shaped arms which act as compartments housing the products to dispense.
In this type of vending machines the distance between the arms defining the compartments is fixed so it can happen, depending on the product it is wished to locate, that its own volume means that there is a lot of space unused.
Patents ES 2025473 and ES 2066691 can also be cited in which the products to dispense are stored in a vertical standing position in respective compartments in a spiral, in such a way that with the successive turning of the platform for holding the products these products are extracted by means of the corresponding extraction mechanism.
Patent ES 2113824 can equally be cited in which the products, cold drinks, are stored in the horizontal position, in a series of compartments inclined towards an open vertical duct which leads to an extractor mechanism.
Likewise, Patent ES 2137895 can be cited which presents a “Vending machine”, provided with a series of trays with certain compartments, with their base open centrally, in relation to which opening there is a chain between two shafts, the system of pulling the products being defined by a series of bodies secured to that chain with respective transverse plates being rotationally attached to those bodies, those plates pushing the products as the chain advances driven by the corresponding motor which transmits movement to one of the shafts.
The transverse plates pushing the products in their expulsion remain on the base of the compartment housing the products in the vertical position and via their lower part they rotate with respect to the pieces fixed to the chain, occupying a small space.
Patent ES 2150385 presents a system for pulling products defined by some belts arranged in the open central part of the base where the products are stored, these belts being provided with a series of projections containing corresponding holes, to which are rotationally attached the flat-bars for the actual pulling of the products, in such a way that the pulling flat-bars for the products present a rectangular general shape with a central recess in relation to their side for backing on to the base of the compartment and of length similar to the width of the belt, being provided in relation to the end of the sides of that recess with respective lugs for their rotational attachment to the corresponding hole of the respective projection of the belt.
Patent ES 2160544 presents certain flat-bars for the actual pulling of the products which, in relation to their central recess are provided with some flaps towards the outside with some stopping lugs on the lower surface of the base for storage of the products.
Likewise Patent Application P200501205 can be cited in which, starting from the same concept of vending machine, the pulling mechanism for the products is defined by a single piece secured to the belt and a pair of lateral straps in the forward part of the compartment, the width of the compartment being related to the width of the products stored therein.